Cultural Tour of China Cultural Tour of China 20092009

Cultural Tour of China Cultural Tour of China 20092009

Mandarin Mandarin

• - Guanhua, an official language used - Guanhua, an official language used in the government, the language of in the government, the language of officialsofficials

• Guoyu - National languageGuoyu - National language

• Putonghua - Common Speech, Putonghua - Common Speech, Common LanguageCommon Language

• Huayu or Huawen – Singapore or Huayu or Huawen – Singapore or overseasoverseas

Current status and FutureCurrent status and Future

• Hanyu is used byHanyu is used by 720 million people 720 million people • 70% of the population of China 70% of the population of China speak speak

Hanyu Hanyu • One fifth of world population speak One fifth of world population speak

Hanyu (Hanyu (885 million885 million ) )• Mandarin belongs to the Sino-Tibetan Mandarin belongs to the Sino-Tibetan

language familylanguage family• Mandarin will become the major Mandarin will become the major

language in Asia in the 21 century.language in Asia in the 21 century.

DialectsDialects

• Northern (Mandarin)-BeijingNorthern (Mandarin)-Beijing• Wu-ShanghaiWu-Shanghai• Min Southern - Fuzhou Min Southern - Fuzhou • Min Northen - XiamenMin Northen - Xiamen• Yue (Cantonese)- GuangzhouYue (Cantonese)- Guangzhou• Kejia (Hakka)Kejia (Hakka)• Xiang - ChangshaXiang - Changsha• Gan - NanchangGan - Nanchang

PronunciationPronunciation• The number of syllables are limited: The number of syllables are limited:

432. There are 1376 syllables if all 432. There are 1376 syllables if all tonal variation is taken into account. tonal variation is taken into account. (Liu, 1957)(Liu, 1957)

• Vowels are predominant. Vowels are predominant.

• There are four tones in Mandarin.There are four tones in Mandarin.

Vowels are predominantVowels are predominant

• Vowels are predominantVowels are predominant – lǎo, miáo, lèi lǎo, miáo, lèi

• One syllable has at most two One syllable has at most two consonantsconsonants– nóng – consonants: [n] and [ng]nóng – consonants: [n] and [ng]

• There are no consonant clustersThere are no consonant clusters – [sp] ‘speak’[sp] ‘speak’– [st] ‘steak’[st] ‘steak’– [kst] ‘text’[kst] ‘text’

Four tones in MandarinFour tones in Mandarin

• mā má mǎ màmā má mǎ mà

• 妈妈 麻 马 骂 麻 马 骂 • mother mother hemp horse to scold hemp horse to scold

There are five tones in Shanghai There are five tones in Shanghai dialect.dialect.

There are nine tones in There are nine tones in Cantonese dialect.Cantonese dialect.

• 石室詩士施氏﹐嗜獅﹐誓食十獅。氏時時石室詩士施氏﹐嗜獅﹐誓食十獅。氏時時適市視獅。十時﹐適十獅適市。是時﹐適適市視獅。十時﹐適十獅適市。是時﹐適施氏適市。氏視是十獅﹐恃矢勢﹐使是十施氏適市。氏視是十獅﹐恃矢勢﹐使是十獅逝世。氏拾是十獅尸﹐適石室。石室獅逝世。氏拾是十獅尸﹐適石室。石室濕﹐氏使侍拭石室。石室拭﹐氏始試食是濕﹐氏使侍拭石室。石室拭﹐氏始試食是十獅。食時﹐始識是十獅屍﹐實石獅屍。十獅。食時﹐始識是十獅屍﹐實石獅屍。試釋是事。試釋是事。 ((趙元任《語言問題》商務印書趙元任《語言問題》商務印書館館

• Shí shì shī shì shī shì, shì shī, shì shí Shí shì shī shì shī shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī. Shì shí shí shì shì shì shī. Shí shí shī. Shì shí shí shì shì shì shī. Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí, shì Shī shí, shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí, shì Shī shì shì shì. Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shì shì shì shì. Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shì shì, shǐ shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí shì shì, shǐ shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí shì shí shī shū, shì shí shì. Shí shì shì, shì shí shī shū, shì shí shì. Shí shì shì, shì shǐ shì shù shí shì. Shí shì shì, shì shǐ shǐ shì shù shí shì. Shí shì shì, shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī. Shí shí, shǐ shì shì shì shí shì shí shī. Shí shí, shǐ shì shì shí shī shī, shí shí shī. Shì shì shì shìshí shī shī, shí shí shī. Shì shì shì shì

Translation of “SHI” storyTranslation of “SHI” story• The poet Mr. Shi who lived in a stone house liked to The poet Mr. Shi who lived in a stone house liked to

eat lions. He swore that he would eat ten lions. He eat lions. He swore that he would eat ten lions. He went to the market often to look for lions. At ten went to the market often to look for lions. At ten o’clock, it happened that ten lions were in the market. o’clock, it happened that ten lions were in the market. At that time, Mr. Shi happened to arrive in the market At that time, Mr. Shi happened to arrive in the market too. Mr. Shi looked at the ten lions and he shoot the too. Mr. Shi looked at the ten lions and he shoot the ten lions with arrows. He picked the dead bodies of ten lions with arrows. He picked the dead bodies of the ten lions and returned to his stone house. The the ten lions and returned to his stone house. The stone house was wet. He made the servant to clean stone house was wet. He made the servant to clean the room. After the room was cleaned, he began to the room. After the room was cleaned, he began to try to eat these ten lions. Only by the time of eating, try to eat these ten lions. Only by the time of eating, he found that these dead bodies of lions were he found that these dead bodies of lions were actually stone lions. Try to explain this story.actually stone lions. Try to explain this story.

Way of Chinese WritingWay of Chinese Writing

• Non-phonetic: a character has no Non-phonetic: a character has no clue to its pronunciationclue to its pronunciation

• Ideographic or pictographic: Ideographic or pictographic: characters are derived from the characters are derived from the pictures (More in the second half of pictures (More in the second half of today’s class)today’s class)

• The writing unit is character. The writing unit is character. Characters can be written vertically Characters can be written vertically or horizontally, from left to write, from or horizontally, from left to write, from right to left, or from top to bottom right to left, or from top to bottom

A character has no clue to its A character has no clue to its pronunciation pronunciation

豳 豳bīn bīn

Characters are derived from Characters are derived from picturespictures

Characters can be written Characters can be written horizontally, from left to horizontally, from left to write or from right to leftwrite or from right to left

Various styles of writing Various styles of writing

Power to form new wordsPower to form new words

• When new words were introduced to Chinese, When new words were introduced to Chinese, most words were translated into Chinese and most words were translated into Chinese and the new words were coined based on the the new words were coined based on the meaning of each character. meaning of each character.

• telephone telephone 電話電話 diànhuà diànhuà electric speechelectric speech• television television 電視電視 diànshìdiànshì electric visionelectric vision• computer computer 電腦電腦 diànnǎo diànnǎo electric brainelectric brain• laser laser 激光 激光 jīguāngjīguāng activated beamactivated beam• railway railway 鐵路鐵路 tiělù tiělù iron roadiron road

Load wordsLoad words• radar radar léidá léidá 雷達雷達 • model model mótèěr mótèěr 模特兒模特兒• pound pound bàng bàng 磅磅• shock shock xiūkè xiūkè 休克休克• humor humor yōumò yōumò 幽默幽默• cola cola kělèkělè 可樂可樂• sofa sofa shāfā shāfā 沙發沙發

Chinese for TravelersChinese for Travelers• HelloHello• GoodbyeGoodbye• Thank youThank you• I am sorryI am sorry• PleasePlease• TeacherTeacher• Where is the bathroom?Where is the bathroom?• How much does this cost?How much does this cost?• Too much—Cut PriceToo much—Cut Price• 1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5

Review questionsReview questions• 1. Explain the following terms: Guanhua, Mandarin, 1. Explain the following terms: Guanhua, Mandarin,

Putonghua, Guoyu, Hanyu, Huayu.Putonghua, Guoyu, Hanyu, Huayu.

• 2. How many people speak Mandarin? Where are 2. How many people speak Mandarin? Where are they?they?

• 3. What language family does Chinese belong to?3. What language family does Chinese belong to?

• 4. Is Chinese language a unique language? What 4. Is Chinese language a unique language? What are the varieties of Chinese?are the varieties of Chinese?

• 5. What are typological characteristics of Chinese? 5. What are typological characteristics of Chinese?

• 6. In what way is Chinese influenced by other 6. In what way is Chinese influenced by other languages?languages?